Zoo Tycoon comments
The most fun I've been having with Mac games lately is Aspyr's Zoo Tycoon. It's not the prettiest game I've played, nor is it the most intricate or technically sophisticated title in recent memory. It's just loads of fun.
The basic premise is that you're running a zoo, and you have to make it profitable while keeping your guests and the animals comfortable and healthy. There are pre-made scenarios you can play, some of which are quite challenging. But my favorite aspect to the game is the open-ended sandbox mode that allows you to create your own zoo from scratch. My kids love it too -- they'll sit with me and tell me what animals they want in the zoo and how they should decorate each exhibit.
There are some basic rules that need to be applied to each exhibit: Animals are picky about their surroundings, so putting a rainforest tree from Malaysia in an exhibit for a South American rainforest creature is bound to cause the poor beast unnecessary duress. Some animals like water and dirt; others prefer grass, rocks and dense foliage. Once your park fills up with people, you may find that some animals find the crowds too much to bear, and need some privacy.
One thing that really appeals to me about this game is that it helps to engender a respect for animals, which Bonnie and I both feel is of paramount importance. But my kids are also pretty observant about human behavior in the zoo, too.
Even the three year old, James, told me almost as soon as we opened our zoo together that the people visiting would get hungry, and he told me to set up snack stands. He had no idea that concessions were part of the game, but he presumed (correctly) that if the animals ate, so would the people. And he reminded me that they'd also like potties to use and places to sit down and rest, because you get tired walking around the zoo all day.
It's fun, in an anarchistic sort of way, to be really mean too. I filled up my zoo with people and animals, then I walled off the exit with bricks and fired all my zookeepers (who are responsible for feeding and caretaking the animals). Then I knocked down the iron railings and stone walls of the exhibits and let the now-starving predatory animals like the lions, tigers, bears and wolves go free, with predictable results. "People don't like your zoo," the game informed me, amidst the screams of terrified people, quickly silenced by the roars of toothy beasts going in for the kill.